Intangible culture boosts rural vitalization

Live stream hosts introduce products made in Qihe to their viewers. [Photo by Liu Lei, Sun Shuyi for chinadaily.com.cn]

Qihe county in Dezhou, East China's Shandong province, has in recent years explored vitalizing rural industry by promoting local intangible culture.

With the theme of inheritance and study, Qihe has established an exhibition and experience center for Shandong handicrafts and the culture along the Yellow River, with Longshan black pottery, Qihe Xiaozhou mooncakes, and gourd carving being the bestsellers.

The exhibition and experience center for Qihe handicrafts. [Photo by Liu Lei, Sun Shuyi for chinadaily.com.cn]

The county has built a gathering space for the production, training, and exhibition of traditional handicrafts, including 10 intangible cultural heritage workshops, 16 practice bases, and 20 training schools.

Qihe has also used live streams to promote locally produced products. To date, more than 20 live stream rooms have been set up around the county and over 40 live streams have been arranged. (Edited by Gong Jun)